This is one of the positive changes brought about by the new Champions League formula. While the seeded teams in the group stage draw avoided each other before the knockout stage, the teams in the first pot, including PSG for France, will now meet in the new “league phase”. As a reminder, the 36 participants will know their eight opponents (for 4 home matches and as many away) this Thursday, as will be decided by a computer during the draw starting at 6pm in Monaco (live on Canal+).
PSG are in Pot 1 with Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig and FC Barcelona and will face one of these teams no matter what. So we could have many “early finals”, unless PSG draws BVB and RBL simultaneously…
PSG will not be spared
The second pot also offers very high-level opponents such as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, Diego Simeone’s Atlético de Madrid, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, Thiago Motta’s Juventus and Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan. Benfica, Club Bruges and Shakhtar Donetsk complete this second pot. It is in pot 4 that we will find last season’s surprises Aston Villa, Bologna and Girona.
Three other French clubs will know their autumn and winter schedule (the 5th and 6th days will be played in January). Losc, qualified on Wednesday evening after their return play-off against Slavia Prague, are in pot 3 and AS Monaco and Stade Brestois in pot 4. But that doesn’t change anything. All the teams will face two teams from the four pots. It takes a computer (and its AI) to avoid confrontations between teams from the same championship (Monaco is not part of France).
